New Blog

Hey all,
I'm no longer updating this blog.
Check out my new WordPress blog here:

www.blog.estellahom.com

EH

A bump in the road

You never know what life will throw your way.
After a great weekend of kettlebell workouts, yoga, rollerblading, and hanging out on the beach, I had the misfortune of breaking my left clavicle (collarbone) on Labour Day, which pretty much marked the end of summer for me.

So how'd this all go down? September 1, 2008, 9:15pm. I was 15km into my ride, going about my usual 35km route, cycling downhill on the Lakeshore Boulevard bike path. I noticed that the city had just installed some new posts going across the bike path. 'Ok, no problem. I'll just go around it.' I steered onto the grassy area and as was getting back onto the main path, I misjudged the curb and came flying off my bike accompanied by a couple of small flips, so I was told. I took a major blow to my left shoulder and had broke my left clavicle. I also had huge road rash on my left shoulder and elbow. It was very bloody and gross. Not fun. It all just happened so fast.

Some of the cyclists passing by asked 'Are you ok?', 'do you need help?' Even a guy working at the yacht club offered to help. I was riding with friend and trainer Ryan Shanahan. He told me not to move, helped me up, and cleared my bike off the path. Can you move your arm? I don't think so. The pain was so great that as i tried moving it, all i could hear were a thousand little cracks. This was not a good sign. I knew something wasn't right, so i tried to immobilize it as much as possible. Other than that, i was ok and able to stand up and walk. Thank goodness I didn't break anything else or scrape up my legs! I was really lucky. As I was standing and talking, everything started to blur and I was overcome by this dizzy feeling, so I laid down on the grass for a few minutes until the feeling faded.

We walked back up to the top of the hill, Googled the taxi number on the iPhone and called a taxi to drive us and our bikes back. My bike was still intact - in fact i don't think it took any damage at all. With the accident replaying in my head in slow motion and me trying to keep my shoulder still, the cab ride back was smooth and got me home pretty quick. I got home, paid the driver, grabbed my health card, and got my mom to quickly drive me to the hospital.

At the emergency room, I immediately got my wound cleaned up (which stung like crazy!) and bandaged by one of the nurses - now that's what i call fast service! I told my story, filled out some forms, waited about 5 minutes, saw a doctor, answered some questions, got my tetanus shot, got xrayed, waited some more, was told that i fractured my collarbone, given a sling and painkiller prescription, paid, then I was out the door. All of which took a total of 2 hours. If you ever get to an accident like this, make sure you ask the extent of the fracture, and look at the xrays. Unfortunately I didn't get to and was misinformed of the severity of the fracture.

One of the most painful thoughts was not being able to workout. How am i supposed to sit still and not do anything?? Now that's pain! I was told that within 6-8 weeks I will be able to return to my normal activities. Until then, I would have to lay off the kettlebells and create alternative means of maintaining fitness and my sanity.

What's next? Time to rebuild.

Week 1

During the first week, I was off work, in a lot of pain, popping painkillers every few hours, icing the area, watching tv, and getting lots of rest. Aside from the one time i got dizzy and passed out in the hallway, the side effects of the painkillers were non existent. I was in a sling for the whole week and unable to move my arm without feeling pain. Even riding in the car was painful to the point of tears. I was pretty much using one arm for everything including typing and every task would take me 3x as long to complete, so I was never actually bored. Other than being slightly handicapped, I had a good week of relaxing, being waited on, and I even wrote a couple of design project proposals for some exciting new jobs.

Supplements: My supplements included Caltrate 2000mg calcium tablets and New Zealand whey protein powder mixed with oatmeal or in my fruit shakes. I highly recommend these as they are great for rebuilding and strengthening the muscles and bones. I felt it helped speed up my recovery. The real key here is to eat a healthy diet that will help optimize the body's ability to absorb calcium. Here's a useful page i found on nutrition's role in healing bones:

http://lesann.tripod.com/healing%20fractures.htm

Week 2

I was feeling a lot better and had to return back to work. Instead of the excruciating pain, it was more of a piercing pain everytime i moved my arm. I began taking my sling off just to get some movement back in my left arm again. The 'Use it or lose it' paradigm holds so true here and the stiffness in my elbow was proof of what 1 week of inactivity can do. That was fixed by doing unweighted bicep curls for a couple of days :) Getting dressed proved to be the most challenging part of having a broken clavicle. You have to keep the injured arm as still as possible while putting your head and other arm through the shirt.

At this point i was able to move my arm out to the side 45 degrees. Forward/backward movement is very limited. It felt good to be out of the sling and getting some movement in my arm. I used it mostly when went out - prevents my shoulder from shifting too much and people from bumping into me.

Week 3

I'm off the painkillers, can extend my left arm out to the side for the full 90 degrees, 45 degrees forward and back and even behind my back. Good news is that I can now walk long distances without pain - which means I can begin doing some more cardio again! I went for a follow up appointment and was told the bone was beginning to heal on its own - hence my ability to move my arm again. I finally got to see my xray too and it was not pretty. The broken bone was completely displaced! My ortho doc said surgery is an option and that the bone can also heal on its own but would just take a long time. Well, i wasn't too keen on the surgery, actually terrified. Midway through our conversation, i practically passed out (not sure what happened there...emotion overload maybe?)...After that, the doc said we can wait til the next appointment to see if the bone heals then decide what to do.

Week 4

This week I begin physio, an essential step towards rehabilitation.

I went to see Ian Murray, an Athletic Therapist at the Toronto Film Studios. With over 10 years experience traveling and working with Cirque de Soleil, rehabilitating several professional athletes, and celebrities, he understood my needs as an athlete. He told me that muscle tightness, especially from a trauma like this is a form of protection in the body. They tend to tighten up in order to stabilize the joints. By employing body biomechanic and Muscle Activation Techniques (MAT), this helps 'turn on' the muscles in the surrounding area to restore movement, correct muscle imbalances, and reduce pain and risk of injury in the long run. To rebuild strength and maintain my muscle mass, he also has me doing isometric exercises. I've only been doing physio for a week but i'm already starting to feel the difference! Ian rocks!!

If you fall off a bike the best thing is to get right back on it so that's what I did! I set up the CycleOps stationary trainer for my bike so from this point on, that'll be my form of cardio.

I will write more progress updates as I recover.

For now I'm hanging tough. No crying over broken bones... I'm be doing everything in my power to get back to where I was at before the accident and vow to rebuild and come back even stronger!

Be careful out there,
Estella

Jump Training

In a recent design project, I have had the pleasure of working with beach volleyball player Marc 'Funk' Roberts.

He has developed a 6 week jump training program designed to make you strong, explosive, and powerful while increasing leg strength, your vertical jump, and preventing injuries to knees and ankles. Whether you play basketball, volleyball, or just want to jump higher, you'll want to give this workout a try. I've tried it, and it's one tough workout but I found it really transferred over well to my beach volleyball games.

We'll be launching it in 2009. In the meantime, check out the video!

Kettlebell Juggling for Fat Loss by Ryan Shanahan

Whenever i'm working out in my backyard, I like to practice flipping and tossing kettlebells. Not only is it a good challenge but it is also a great workout.

Here's an excellent video by Ryan Shanahan on how to get started on juggling kettlebells. Check it out.

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"FAT LOSS? Come on! What's the deal?"

I'm sure there's more than one of you saying that to the title. If your stuck with what to do next for your kettlebell program , you may want to try kettlebell juggling as an alternative to one's regular workout.

Kettlebell juggling isn't real exercise, it's just messing around, right?

Nope. If you happen to be sick of swings, or just can't muster up the motivation for 500 rep snatch workout, try juggling. It's a great change of pace and it will get your heart rate up, burns calories, and helps you melt fat.

So here it is.A Kettlebell juggling for fat loss basic How To Video.

Enjoy!

Ryan Shanahan
www.kettlebellpros.com

The wrist Injury workout

I injured my wrist playing beach volleyball about a month ago and it still hurts. The doctor said I pulled a tendon and it's going to take a while to recover. When I heard that, the first thing that went through my mind was - "OMG!! does that mean I can't workout?!" Well, it certainly means i need to slow down and not put any further stress on the wrist. 

"Slow down?? but like going fast!" 

It was really hard for me to wrap my mind around it but over the last little while, I have found ways. No injury is going to hold me back! Though I did have to stop playing volleyball, the initial culprit. I'm still teaching boot camp but using moves that do not put strain the wrist. You'd be surprised how good a workout you can still get!

For my personal workouts, I've been doing moksha (hot) yoga - great for flexibility and loosening up the joints, rollerblading, cycling 20km 2x/wk - always good for burning the fat, and combined bodyweight and kettlebell flow exercises. No snatches or cleans - just very fluid movements.

Here's a sample 30-35 minute workout:

- perform each move for 30 seconds

Warmup

Bodyweight Superset #1 x3 (9 mins total)

1. swimmer sit ups

2. leg raises

3. knee in/outs

4. plank

5. side plank dips - l

6. side plank dips - r

Kettlebell Superset #2 x3 (7.5 mins total)

1. 1 arm swings

2. figure 8 side lunges

3. meet the queens

4. 1 arm rows

5. side kick squats

Kettlebell Superset #3 x3 (7.5 mins total)

1. tricep back scratchers

2. half squat bicep curls

3. the 'can can'

4. 1 leg health lift

5. standing side reach overs

Stretch

Remember - always burn the fat, and make it happen!

Hot Yoga

This week I did a couple of hot yoga classes at Moksha Yoga's brand new studio on Bathurst Street and I have to say I'm already hooked. Unlike the high intensity cardio workouts i'm used to doing, this one was a real change of pace. The class was very relaxed but at the same time you're engaging your muscles in various postures that help stretch, tone, and strengthen your muscles. All of which takes place in a heated studio - which has its benefits and is also my favourite part about it. It may still be summer but come winter, this workout will be a good escape from the bitter cold.

By working out in the heat, this helps detoxify the body, increase flexibility (muscles are looser when in the heat), and helps with weight loss.

For optimum results, this is a great workout to incorporate with any resistance training program.

Check them out at:
www.mokshayoga.ca

Bootcamp Success!

10:00am Saturday morning. Funk & I were pumped and ready to go. Plyometrics, killer ab moves, kettlebells, cardio, and pushing trainees beyond perceived physical limits made for one of the most intense bootcamp workouts ever! The trainees loved it and some were even sore from the workout!

Bootcamp was a success! I had a blast and am already learning tons as I go along. It was a great feeling taking on role of the trainer and motivating the trainees to achieve their fitness goals. It's hard to believe that it was only a couple of years ago that I was overweight and thinking how great it'd be to become a trainer someday. Well, it happened and I'm going to stick to it!

Planning for the next boot camp is in the works and it can only get better and tougher! 

Boot Camp #3

As a long time boot camp trainee, I never thought I'd find myself teaching boot camp. This coming saturday is going to be my first time ever. Given this amazing opportunity, I'm extremely excited and pumped. For the next 3 weeks, I will be instructing alongside Funk Roberts. We've got an incredible workout planned - it's going to be fun, intense and full of fat burning surprises that you just don't want to miss out on!

Be sure to come check it out!
www.waronbodyfat.com

The perfectly balanced lunch

In any meal, you should always aim to have a good balance of lean proteins and carbs. Proteins are king when it comes to losing weight. They help your body recover from exercise and repair muscle tissue, are very low in calories and won't be converted into fat. Carbohydrates provide your body with energy. Good carbohydrate rich foods are fine and as long as you don't consume them in high amounts they will assist you in weight loss. With that being said, here is what i have prepared for lunch: Stirfried green beans with tofu and chicken.

Ingredients:
2 blocks of firm tofu (diced)
1/2 chicken breast (sliced)
green beans
1/2 red pepper (sliced)
1 tsp diced garlic

seasoning:
olive oil
black pepper
white pepper
salt
garlic powder
soy sauce
water or chicken broth

directions:
1. in a pan, grill the chicken with 1/2 tsp of olive oil.
2. lightly grill tofu cubes, season with salt, pepper, & garlic powder
3. heat pan, using 1 tsp olive oil, stir fry and season green beans & red peppers until desired taste & softness.

Bon Apeitit!

The Birthday Workout

Yesterday was my 27th birthday and coincidentally was also Victoria Day. I had a incredible weekend doing all the things I love - everything from watching the fireworks, cooking a 6 course dinner, eating cake, partying with friends and family, shopping, and of course, fitting in a good workout! It was exactly 4 years ago that I made a promise to myself to lose the weight, get healthy and into the best shape of my life. Yes, i can say i took action, stuck with it, and have achieved all of the above but of course it doesn't end here. I'm always looking for new ways to continue challenging myself, improve, and grow as an athlete and yesterday's workout was no exception.

It happened pretty spontaneously. I was walking along the beach scouting a good location for a kettlebell workout until i saw these olympic rings and monkey bars which happened to be right next to a set of stairs --- just perrrfect!

This workout included a warm up, cardio, bodyweight conditioning with rings, and strength training with kettlebells.

I haven't really worked out with rings much so this proved to be a good challenge and addition to the workout. Great for muscular strength, control and stabilization. I incorporated some pull ups (that was tough, but definitely something i will work up to doing more reps of) and different variations on front flips (ie: slowing down the movement, hanging upside down w/ legs extended or bent for varied times to challenge balance)

Of course, by incorporating kettlebells this is excellent for building functional strength, toning the arms, butt, and core, shoulder mobility, and working the body as one unit. Strength & cardio training all in one - gotta love it!

In honour of it being my 27th birthday, I did 27 reps of the windmill using a 35lb kb for 1 set -- my personal best to this date :)

Feel like a challenge? Give it a try:

ESTELLA'S BDAY WORKOUT

warm up
running stairs (10x up & down)

olympic ring front flips (5)
pull ups (3)

stair run (8x up & down)

olympic ring front flips (5)

using a 35lb kettlebell
3 rounds of the following circuit (left and right):
1 arm swings (10)
1 arm cleans (10)
1 arm military press (5)
windmills (27, 15, 10)